REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. LIX 



to the vessel as were needed for conducting operations at that point. 

 The vessel was then taken to the League Island navy-yard, Philadelphia, 

 and turned over to the Navy Department. 



Bristol Station, Pennsylvania (G. H. Tolbert in charge). 

 Anticipating the probable detail of the Fish Hatch to duty under the 

 Navy Department, tentative arrangements had been made early in the 

 spriug with the State Fish Commission for the use of their hatchery on 

 the Delaware River, and as soon as it was learned definitely that the 

 vessel was to leave the service of the Oommissiou, Mr. G. H. Tolbert, 

 fish-culturist at large, was instructed to proceed to Bristol and prepare 

 the hatchery for the reception of eggs. The hatchery is a two story 

 frame building, and is equipped with 120 McDonald jars and a good 

 steam plant. Immediately upon the arrival of Mr. Tolbert the nec- 

 essary employees were taken on and, with the assistance of the crew of 

 the Fish Hatch, everything was in readiness for the commencement of 

 work by May 13. A small force of spawn-takers was employed to 

 attend the seines between Bristol and Biverton, and work proceeded 

 uninterruptedly till the end of the month, 10,848,000 eggs being secured 

 from the seines at Biverton, 1,841,000 from North Cramer Hill, and 

 220,000 from Dutch Neck and Badger Island. In addition to the 

 5,342,000 eggs turned over by the Fish Hawk, 3,095,000 were transferred 

 from Battery Station, making a total of 21,340,000 handled at this point 

 during the spring. These yielded 15,460,000 fry, which were liberated 

 during May and June in the Delaware River and its tributaries. At 

 the close of operations on June 10 the temporary employees were dis- 

 charged, and the hatchery turned back to the State Fish Commission. 

 The results would indicate that under more favorable conditions and by 

 the employment of a larger force, from 30,000,000 to 40,000,000 eggs 

 might be collected here during the spring. 



Battery Station, Maryland (Alexander Jones in charge). 



Anticipating an early run of shad on account of the mild weather in 

 March, preparatory work commenced sooner than usual, and by April 

 10 the station was in readiness for active fish-cultural operations. The 

 temporary force of 36 employees was taken on between that period and 

 the middle of the month. To encourage the collection of eggs by the 

 fishermen, two spawn-takers were stationed at Havre de Grace to 

 receive and care for all taken in that vicinity, and four men were 

 detailed on a schooner in Northeast River to obtain all that were avail- 

 able at that point. Spawn-takers were also stationed as usual at the 

 seines fished at Carpenter Point and on Osmond's float below Havre de 

 Grace. The remaindei of the force worked the boats from the station 

 and accompanied the launches on the nightly trips to the various fields. 



Eggs commenced coming in on the 13th of April, and by the end of 

 that month 105,364,000 had been secured ; the collections during one 

 night amounted to 22,539,000. The largest number of shad eggs ever 

 collected in the Commission heretofore within twenty-four hours was a 

 little over 8,000,000, in the spring of 1888, at this station. The take 



